


The Stupidest Thing I Ever Did

by BeifongFirebender



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Family Secrets, Fire Lord Zuko, Fire Nation (Avatar), Fire Nation Royal Family, Flashbacks, Gen, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Manipulation, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-12 09:04:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19943611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeifongFirebender/pseuds/BeifongFirebender
Summary: The biggest mistake Izumi ever made, or, young Izumi accidentally meets Ozai





	The Stupidest Thing I Ever Did

**Author's Note:**

> So my cousin challenged me into writing a story in first person, and I gave it my best… I chose Izumi since we didn’t really get a lot of her in the show, giving me a lot more freedom.  
> I know there are a lot of Izumi meets Ozai stories out there, but I wanted to give it my own spin. Anyway, I assumed Mai is her mother, because Maiko is life.

I’m Princess Izumi of the Fire Nation and this is the story of the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.

Not only that, but I can say with great confidence that it is the stupidest thing I will ever do. I really reached my full potential that year…

Anyway, I was seven.

And sure, I know, how much damage can a cute, although a bit scrawny, seven-year-old realistically do? Well, you’d be surprised…

I’ve always been quiet. And no, I don’t mean shy… But that too. What I mean is, I’ve always been able to move soundlessly. Which allowed me to hide for hours or follow someone unnoticed. And seven-year-old me though this was the coolest thing in the world. Sure, I was the smartest kid in my year and could shoot fire out of my fingertips, but none of that came close to the trill of crouching behind a plant and fooling a bunch of adults who weren’t even looking for me.

I don’t get it either…

The only person I remember always being onto me was my mom. Dad I could scare by jumping out from behind corners and dark rooms, but never Mom. Sometimes I thought she could feel me there, rather than see or hear me, that’s how good she was.

But I was still good enough to overhear news of Dad’s uncle Iroh passing away, before anyone else. I didn’t tell, of course, I went to my room and acted like a good little girl until Mom came to explain everything to me before bedtime. When I saw Dad the next morning he looked too sad to ever smile again and I wanted nothing more than to cheer him up. But I was sad too. Iroh always played with me and talked to me for hours, never once being bored or busy.

I couldn’t let Dad see me cry, it would just make him sadder, so by some now incomprehensible children’s logic, I set out in search of a secluded place to cry where no one would see me. And Spirits did I find it… It’s in my memory, still clear as day. A slight pull on a torch on the wall, just a little to the left and the wall moved, revealing a secret passage. Brilliant, really. Something only someone who knew what to look for would find, or in my case, a child trying to climb to sit on the window.

Of course, to a child raised on stories of adventure and spirit magic nothing about a secret, hidden door screamed danger. No, I rushed into the darkness, without so much as a second thought. From then on, I could only see what I could illuminate with my fire.

I remember the echo, at the slightest sound, the reflection created on the floor of my thin figure and the little, yellow flame in my palm. But most of all I remember the walls on both sides being filled with drawings, no, carvings. I remember walking past, dragging my fingers across the cuts in the stone, all coming together depicting dragons, and men, and firebenders most of all. I didn’t know then they celebrated killers. Genocidal warmongers. My ancestors. And how could I have? No one had bothered to tell me about them.

Going further and further though the large dark hall, I happened upon another exit and used it. They were much easier to spot from the inside. Coming out, I had no idea where in the palace I was. It smelled like that one time Dad took me to the stables to play with the dragon. I was in a plain looking hall with a dead end on my right. I went left and behind a corner.

Then I spotted four guards, intently standing to attention with their backs turned to me. That’s when I first got the idea that what I was doing might be interpreted as wrong. Palace guards would never hurt me, but they would talk to my parents, so I decided to go back the way I came. Simple. Logical. I wish I did that…

On my way back, I spotted a door near that dead end of the hall. Simple, wooden, not special in any way. But for some reason I’d convinced myself there was a good chance it would lead to Dad’s dragon Druk, so I tried the doorknob. Unlocked.

It didn’t occur to me then that whatever was behind that door was what all those guards were here for. I just… Went in. It’s understandable in a way. That palace was my home. A place where everyone knew me and everyone, from my family, to the guests and servants, wanted me nothing but good things.

The door lead to a relatively small room, by palace standards. It was almost completely empty, with one corner being separated by metal bars, creating a rather small cell. I almost missed it at first glance, but the cell was occupied. A man sat, leaned on the bars, with his back to me. Skinny, grey-haired and wrinkled. He obviously heard the door and was slowly and disinterestedly turning towards me when he suddenly froze. For some reason, back then I understood his expression as fearfulness, but now I know it was the look of a man analysing a new situation. It took him just a few seconds before a giant smile stretched across his features. Undoubtedly, his strategy already chosen.

“Mind passing me that apple, little lady? Help an old man.” he said softly, smile never wavering. I remember thinking how friendly he looked. How unthreatening.

What I didn’t know then and I do now is that evil doesn’t always look evil. Sometimes it’s staring right at us, plotting our downfall behind a warm smile and an offer of chocolate cookies, and we don’t even realize it. But I’m getting ahead of myself….

I now realize that he’d probably thrown the apple at a guard prior to my arrival. But back then, the manners my parents taught me required me to help this elderly man in front of me. I passed him the apple. Thinking back on it, he could’ve just broken my hand there and then, maybe even grabbed my neck before I thought to use my fire. I just walked into his life one day, and to him, I’m sure it felt like someone had accidentally tossed him the cell key. And he wasn’t going to spend it on petty revenge against my father.

“You have a name?” he asked, setting the apple on the floor next to him.

“Izumi.” But, of course, he knew that already. I wore my Crown Princess headpiece everywhere.

I can’t even imagine what he was thinking. He was working on a plan, sure, but he was also meeting his granddaughter for the first time. That must have filled him with some emotion, even if it was just rage and jealousy.

“Nice to meet you, Princess. I’m-”

“Why are you here?” I interrupted him.

“I live here.”

“In the palace?”

“In this room.” he gestured.

“I’m looking for the dragon. Do you know where I could find it?” I reached for the doorknob to go out again. He must have panicked.

“You’re looking at him.”

“What do you mean?” The lie interested me enough to stop leaving.

“You didn’t know we turn back into humans when we’re tired?” he gave me that look adults use when you’re acting like more of a child than you are, “That’s why there aren’t a lot of dragons. It’s tiring, staying human is a lot easier.”

“I think I read that in a book once.” It was a fantasy book. But seven-year-old me didn’t care much about the difference. “I don’t think I’m supposed to be here.”

“Nevertheless, I’m glad you are. Not a lot of people come to visit me.” he paused slightly, probably weighing the risk and reward of what he was about to say, “What’s more, I lost a dear friend of mine a few days ago.”

“Did he… _die_?” I whispered the last word. Mom had told me death’s not to be mentioned around Dad or at the palace for at least a few weeks.

“Yes. His name was Iroh. He always used to visit me.”

“My dad’s uncle Iroh just died.”

“He was my friend. We knew each other since we were children. And now I have no one to keep me company.” he shrugged in a sad way and I remember feeling bad for him.

“I miss him too. Iroh always played with me.”

“How about this… Would you like to play a game with me?”

“What kind of game?”

“Pai Sho. The board is in the cupboard, there. I can teach you.”

“I already know how to play.” I darted in the direction he pointed and returned to the metal bars with the game.

“Iroh taught me.” I folded my legs and sat down onto the floor.

“Me too.” he said quietly, while setting the board. I still think it was the truth.

I remember the game lasting a while, and thinking I was close to winning a couple of times, before he finally made the winning move. That was almost certainly on purpose. He must have worked so hard to keep me entertained, to keep me there answering his questions.

I called him the dragon’s name, Druk, and he didn’t object, most certainly fearing my father had mentioned something, anything really, about our extended family to me. But he hadn’t… I understand my dad’s side, I really do, especially now that I’m older, but it left me vulnerable. He wanted me to keep my childish wonder, my trust in people, my love for bending. He couldn’t bring himself to show me their dark sides, not until he had to.

After that first game, I realized my parents might’ve already noticed I was nowhere to be found. Nowhere I was allowed to be, anyway. I loved hiding from them, so they wouldn’t be alarmed right away, but I politely told my new _friend_ I had to get going.

“So soon?” he tried to seem relaxed, but his stomach must have been in knots. He had to hook me, or he’d never see me again.

“I… I have to go see my mom.”

“Did you have a nice time with me, Izumi?” he asked and got an immediate nod from me, “Would you like to come play with me again, another day when everyone else is busy?”

“Yes.”

“I’d like that too. But let me give you a little piece of advice…” he sighed, pretending the thing he was about to say would be difficult, “If you tell your parents you met me, they won’t let you come back here.”

“Why?”

“The truth about dragons turning into people is kind of a secret.” he paused, “But you’re a good girl. You won’t tell anyone, right? Meeting me, it’ll be our secret.”

And I agreed. No additional questions. I kept the secret. It wasn’t even that hard, no one even noticed I’d gone somewhere.

Next time I used the secret passage was in three days. He, in all likelihood, spent that entire time on edge, thinking and overthinking every little detail about our conversation. Constructing a web of new ideas and directions he could take this new opportunity.

Next time I visited he was ready. He’d made himself look more friendly, more approachable. His long, grey hair was combed and tied in a tight top-knot, his few belongings tidily organized. When I entered, he greeted me with a smile and handed me a chocolate cookie he’d stashed from lunch that day.

“For me?” I savoured the crunch between my teeth. I was a princess, yes, but still a child and that meant I couldn’t get sweets like that whenever I wanted, “Thank you.”

“I though we could play again. I have a move I though I could teach you today…” he offered, and I nodded, mouth full of delicious chocolaty dough, “You’d like that? Great.”

During the game, I mostly asked questions about Pai Sho, the strategies he employed, while he used the time to carefully question me about my home life. All he needed now was a way in. A crack in the family, even a small one where he could fit in. It wasn’t easy, though.

Despite all the times my mom and dad told me I didn’t have to be perfect, that they’ll love me no matter what, they didn’t apply the same standards to themselves. They strived to be the perfect parents more than anyone I’ve ever met. Perfect, of course, didn’t exist, but I will always love them for trying so hard.

“They don’t have time for me.” I confessed, moving a piece on the board, “Iroh always had time… And since it’s summer I don’t see my friends in school, or my tutors.”

“That’s no way to live for a little girl. A little princess. You should have anything you want.”

“I like playing alone, so they let me, but… I don’t want to play alone all the time.” I was so easy to get information out of, “We were supposed to all go to Ember Island together, but now Dad’s too busy and too sad to go.”

“And you like going?” he made his move, purposefully not ending the game.

“I love the beaches. Me and Mom collect sea shells and then build them into a sand version of our palace, but we never let Dad help because he always knocks it down, cause he’s clumsy.”

A small smile twisted his lips, “My daughter liked sandcastles. Well… She liked knocking them down. The prettier they were the more she loved watching them crumble.”

Till this day I like to believe the smile and the sentiment behind it were real. But maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part… Looking for something that simply isn’t there.

“You had a daughter?” I took the bait.

“Oh, yes. Beautiful little girl… You remind me of her.”

“Did… Did you play with her?” I asked and realized I still had to make my move. I moved a piece.

“All the time. She was smart, like you. But what we did together more than anything was firebending training. She could never have enough…”

“You can firebend like me?”

“No. Not anymore…” his face sagged, “Not since I got the dragon form.”

And that’s how it went on for months. I’d come down every few days, we’d play Pai Sho and he’d lie to me. And what a good liar he was… He explained to me very early on when the guards came into the room to give him food, so that I’d avoid them. He made me believe I’d be punished if I was found there.

“Why can’t you come play with me in my room?” I asked one day, “Just for today?”

“I already told you, little lady. Your father won’t let me leave this room. I serve him.”

“But… But if I asked him, he’d-”

“He’d just get mad at you. It wouldn’t change anything… You don’t want that, do you?”

I shook my head.

And I kept the secret. But it was becoming harder. After all, it was the first thing I’ve ever kept from my parents. Being around them for too long became difficult, especially with my dad. In retrospect, they probably thought I pulled away because of Iroh’s death and wanted to give me the space to process my first loss. While, in reality, I was dealing with my first big secret and the disturbing idea that my father kept someone who I considered a friend locked up under the palace against his will.

So I spent less time with my parents, making me even more lonely and more dependant on my visits to the prison, which in turn made me feel even more guilty, which made me pull away from Mom and Dad more. It was a spiral and a beautifully crafted one… After little more than a month I’d gotten it in my head that Druk was my best friend and the only person I could trust. Oh, how he must have laughed at that when I wasn’t there…

Soon he moved to the next phase. He started asking me for favours. Little ones at first… To bring him a cookie, find out if Dad had any plans for the weekend, follow Mom without being noticed. And I obeyed. I even liked _reporting back_. I’d tell him about how it went, and he’d say he’s proud and thinks I’m a very talented spy.

“But my mom could be like… The best spy in the world. She doesn’t make sound when she walks. And did you know she knows how to throw knives?” I loved mentioning my parents, and he showed surprising restraint every time. He’d just gently change the subject.

“So can I… But can your mother do knife tricks?”

“Well… I don’t know. I could ask her.” I didn’t want to admit I didn’t exactly know what knife tricks were.

“I though maybe you’d like me to show you how I do them. It used to be a lot of fun at parties… But no… They don’t let me have a knife here. It’s such a shame.”

“Maybe I could borrow one of my Mom’s knives?”

“No, Izumi… She’d miss it. And get mad at you. We wouldn’t want that… Where else can you find knives?” he pretended to think.

“There are knives in the kitchen. I could take one, bring it here.” I offered like any of that was my idea.

“Well, aren’t you smart, little one… Next time then, there shall be knife tricks.”

So I brought the knife and he made sure I forgot to bring it back when I left.

Amongst other things, I also told him about how I found him in the first place. He had me go exploring in the secret halls, memorizing turns and doors. This was a little harder to talk me into, since I soon got bored of it. We ended up making a deal that I’d keep exploring if he taught me some firebending moves he knew. Little did I know, he got everything he wanted in that agreement, since all the moves he showed me revolved around being able to focus your fire onto a smaller target. Like an attacker’s weak point or… A lock.

It was almost two months from our first meeting when he decided to ask for what he actually wanted. I don’t really know if it was his plan from the start or if her figured out how far he could push me along the way, but when the day came, he didn’t drop clues, he didn’t manipulate me into thinking it was my idea, he just asked.

“If you were Fire Lord, Izumi, would you let me live somewhere else?”

“I’d miss you.” I said, still putting away the board and the pieces from our game.

“I know, and I you, but if I you had the power would you set me free?”

“I don’t know… If you wanted it so much, I guess I’d let you.”

What else was a seven-year-old raised on uplifting fairy-tales to answer?

“Thank you, Princess. I’m so glad to hear that.”

“And then I’d order you to visit me.”

He chuckled, “As my Fire Lord commands.”

“But I’m not Fire Lord. Not for a long time, Mom says.” Even as a kid, I never looked forward to taking my father’s position. As a teenager I was already involved in a lot of our nation’s business, and I soon felt comfortable with a lot of responsibilities that go into being Fire Lord. Even though I couldn’t see myself doing anything else, I just didn’t want the title. I thought I’d physically crack under its pressure.

Now I wonder every day how it hasn’t crushed me yet…

“What if I told you there was something you could do right now to help me be free?”

So he laid out our plan for me… His. His plan. I remember feeling bad while listening to him explain what I was to do. I was almost nauseous, sitting on the floor. The guilt was getting to me slowly. The good guilt, one I was supposed to listen to, that told me lying to my parents and going against their wishes was wrong, but also the bad guilt, the one telling me disappointing Druk, when he trusted me with all his secrets and cookies was wrong.

My emotional turmoil must have been apparent on my face since he closed our conversation on a reassuring note.

“You’re doing the right thing, Izumi. I’ll be forever grateful.”

The right thing. That’s what princesses were always supposed to recognise and do, no matter the odds.

Immediately after, I went up to my room, said nothing to my parents, willed myself to sleep so I could do the right thing tomorrow.

Destroying the lock on the small cage was surprisingly easy to me. His firebending lessons proved to be more effective than either of us had expected. I’m embarrassed to say that I still employ some of the techniques I learned from him in combat occasionally. He’s even the reason I cannot be beaten in Pai Sho. It’s good that I got something other than trauma out of our time together, even if using the moves left a bitter taste in my mouth for the first few years.

“Follow me. I’ll show you where to go.” I was already at the door, but he didn’t follow. When I turned around, I say him slowly and carefully stepping out of his cell. I remember thinking it was a bit weird, but… Now I can’t even imagine all the emotions that brought up. Disciplined as always, he decided to show me only one of them, happiness. He grinned at me and we snuck behind the guards’ backs and into the secret hall.

Once in the darkness, I concentrated as hard as I could and made the biggest flame in my hand yet. It illuminated our way forward and at the same time all the carvings on the walls. I made careful steps forward, but he fell behind again, tracing his fingers along the stone. It was like he forgot why we were there, his face displaying something, some emotion I couldn’t identify yet. But my naive, childish brain decided it was fear, so I walked closer and tried to take his hand. He flinched. The mass murderer, the heartless tyrant, he actually flinched.

“I forgot to tell you about the pictures… I’m sorry.” I didn’t understand what was happening, and, of course, I assumed it was my fault. But it wasn’t. His mask was slipping. He was fine faking it back in the cell, but here, surrounded by these carvings… They were sights that should disgust any normal person, a reminder of an unpleasant history from which the world was still healing, but to him… They were a reminder of everything he should have been, everything he wasn’t.

“Don’t you want to go?” I asked, looking at the wall beside him, trying and failing to see what he saw.

He was so close. Had he just gotten his feet moving, he might have gotten away with it. I would have helped him get out, there was no doubt in my mind left. Then when he was out, he could have just killed me, quick and easy, as I’m sure he had planned it.

But instead, he made a mistake.

“I’ll tell you a secret, little princess.” he started with a tone so bitter and toxic I barely recognized the voice. Ever since I met him his face was always warm and smiling, I had no idea where this anger came from. “I’m not really a dragon. I’m Iroh’s brother.”

“What?”

“And my father made these carvings to celebrate our family’s glorious history, present and future. I was supposed to be that future. Me then my daughter, then…” he turned from the pictures to me and the weakening flame in my hand.

“Your father took everything from me!” he continued, grasping my arm and squeezing, just so I couldn’t move away, “But it’s not too late… Look at them, Izumi, they’re your family too! The glorious fighters, visionary leaders, best strategic thinkers… Their blood is in your veins! Your father did one thing right, he made sure out dynasty lives on through you. And I could teach you… I could teach you everything…”

“You lied to me?” It was the only thing I managed to understand from all that. But just because I didn’t get exactly what he meant with blood that didn’t mean I wasn’t absolutely terrified by his tone and his hateful expression. My friend had disappeared, and someone else, someone bad was holding my arm. Panic flooded me, panic like I’d never felt before.

It was in that dark hall that I learned being lied to wasn’t just being told something that wasn’t true. With real liars it was more like an experience. The kind of thing that when undone made your past feel unreal, like a dream, and your present like a complete nightmare.

“Temporary. Temporary, little one, and only for your own good…” his smile was back, slipped into place, like the anger was just a joke and this, this was real, “I just had an idea… How would you like to come with me when I leave? We’d have fun, you and I like we always do, only we wouldn’t have to hide or lie.”

I shook my head, first shyly, then with force.

“Sure, you would…” he squeezed my hand, “I’d make you so strong, more than that weakling could ever imagine…”

Something in me sparked. Like a distress signal fire being lit. I was in danger.

I used my free hand to burn the arm he used to hold me. It was a mild attack, his sleeve didn’t even catch fire, but he let go of me.

“You’re scaring me!” tears started filling my eyes.

“I’ll teach you better defence than that. When I’m done, you’ll never be scared again. Only feared.”

I couldn’t take it. I was done. I let the fire in my palm go out, leaving us in complete darkness and I bolted down the hall and towards an exit. It was dark, but he had me memorize the halls. Even when I needed light, I had fire, he did not.

Even with all that, I could hear him close behind me when I pushed aside the door leading to Dad’s study. But it was empty, no Dad, no Mom.

“Dad! Dad!” I screamed, catching my breath. Then I was back to running, my feet aching, my dress ripping at the sides. I was half-way down the big lit-up hallway when I spotted my mom. I ignored the stack of books she was carrying and ran right into her, hugging her waist.

“Izumi, what in the name of-” she dropped the books, locking eyes with ex Fire Lord Ozai at the end of the hallway. Out of his cell, holding a kitchen knife in one hand, the other one red and burned at his side. I didn’t want to look, so I pressed my head into Mom and turned it the other way.

“Guards. Guards!” she called, immediately followed by the sounds of rushed footsteps on the wooden floors. He must have tried running back into the study since Mom jerked forward as to follow on instinct alone, but decided to stay with me instead.

As guards ran past us and after him, she crouched down to my level, pulling me away for a second. She glanced me up and down quickly, checking for injuries, and when she found none pulled me into a hug. She didn’t ask anything just then and I was grateful. The questions would come later.

The guards caught Ozai with relative ease and then brought him, hands bound, in front of my mother.

“You’ll regret this.” she said, her voice feigning calm. She probably wanted to hurt him, but I was there. What she did do while I was still sobbing into her dress was cover my ears, not very well, and lean over to him to whisper.

“You think you’ve seen punishment, you maniac? Well, you haven’t. Now go back to your little cell and know the last thing you’re ever going to see in this world is a shadow standing over you. If you’re lucky, it’s going to be me and if you’re not, it’ll be my husband.”

I was too upset to pay attention then, but… Damn, Mom!

Later that day my father ordered Ozai be transported to serve out his life sentence in Republic City under the watchful eye of the Avatar. As far as the public was concerned, it was because he still had followers in his nation’s capital. Followers that might try and set him free, but I knew it was because of me. He’d gotten close to escaping, too close, and my father would sooner die than let him ruin this family any further.

“I just- I just simply don’t understand… W-Why?” Dad paced around my room, rubbing his face in pure disbelief, “Why did you do it, Izumi?”

I’m embarrassed to say that right there and then, when my parents found out I wasn’t just a victim in the escape attempt, I was more scared than I was in the dark of the secret hall. Ozai’d gotten to me somehow, with all his warnings about getting caught and now with it finally happening I truly believed something terrible would happen. So I said nothing.

“Are you sure he didn’t do anything to her?” Dad asked Mom.

“I had the physicians take a look. She’s fine, she just won’t talk. She can, she won’t.” Mom crouched down next to where I was seated on the bed and stroked my hand, getting my attention, “Dear, we need to know if someone asked you to do it… Did anyone else know you were visiting that man? Did someone lead you down there?”

I shook my head.

“Then, firefly, why did you go?” Dad asked and I didn’t have an answer for him, “Tell me, Izumi.”

“I’m sorry.” I burst into tears again.

Mom gave Dad a look.

“We’re not mad at you.” she said.

“Not mad at all.” Dad continued, “Just really scared. That man you let out is really dangerous.”

“I’m- I’m sorry… He was my friend.” I took a deep breath, “I missed Iroh and- and I wanted someone to play with and… I’m sorry. He lied.”

“It’s alright, dear, no one is angry at you. It’s not your fault.” Mom sat next to me on the bed and I immediately leaned into her arms. She stroked my hair and everything just felt better.

Dad just continued pacing, angry, yes, but not at me.

“It’s my fault. I let this happen! I didn’t warn you, I didn’t protect you, I-”

“Zuko.” Mom’s words snapped him out of it, “Would you cut it out and come comfort your child?”

He answered by coming to us and embracing the both of us together.

“I’m so sorry, Izumi.” he whispered, “You know I love you.”

“What’s going to happen to him, Dad?”

“He’s far away now. He’ll never be able to hurt you.” And it was the truth. I never saw my grandfather again. And I can’t say I’m worse off for it.

“But I think it’s time I tell you something you have a right to know.” he started.

“You want me to leave you two alone?” Mom asked and he took her hand to stop her from leaving.

“No. Please, stay.”

“What is it, Dad?” I looked up at him.

“It’s… Well, it’s a story.”

“What kind of story?”

“You see, it’s partly about heroes and partly about monsters, but mostly about our family.” he reached out and gently took the Crown Princess headpiece off her head, “Let’s start with this…”

And that was the first time I heard the story that started with Avatar Roku and Prince Sozin, explained why Uncle Aang and Tenzin were the only airbenders and who the man I met in the cell was, and ended with, well, me.

For quite a few years after that I wondered how many people saw that horrible story playing out when they saw me. How many were looking for signs of Ozai or Azula or Sozin in my every action? The truth was, I looked for it too. I was scared, no, terrified to my core, that it really was _in my blood_ , like Ozai said. And that one day, if I wasn’t careful, it could just awaken. Of course, that all changed when I met my aunt Azula, but that’s another story entirely…

I never spoke to Ozai again, but I did go back to the secret halls. Once when it was time to tell my son Iroh the complicated story of our family, then the same for my daughter, and then again, when I became Fire Lord. I had the carvings on one side of the walls destroyed and then replaced with new ones, depicting Avatar Roku, my father and Uncle Aang in all their adventures, victories and defeats. My parents thought it silly, but I wanted it like that, so that when it’s time for my grandchildren to hear the story it would show the good and the bad, what to aspire towards and what to be wary off.

As far as mistakes go, I think I got away pretty easy with that one. I don’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if Ozai got away that day… Maybe he would have found Aunt Azula who was still on the run back then. Maybe he would have led a great rebellion against my dad. Maybe nothing. What I can say with absolute certainty is that there are a hundred liars whose lies I saw through because I was stupid enough to fall for those first ones.

**Author's Note:**

> Anyway, that was it.  
> We all have things in our childhood that we cringe about when we remember.  
> I wanted to show how Ozai didn’t just become harmless without his bending. Good manipulation can get you very far… I could have had him fail because a random guard was where he shouldn’t be, but I decided to have him fail because he was a bit too “high” on his own story. If I was realistic though, I think Ozai would have just killed Izumi for the revenge on Zuko. It’s awful to think about, but…  
> Also, little kids are super vulnerable to adults telling them stuff. I remember I could get my little brother to do ANYTHING and I wasn’t even nice to him. That’s messed up, especially with the internet where people have worse intentions than teen me, wanting someone to fetch things for me.  
> I didn’t really plan on continuing this, but I guess I could go down the top list of STUPID things Izumi did. Or I could go ahead and do one chapter for each one of the Gaang kids. Tell me if you’d be interested in any of that.  
> And if you like this at all, try and leave a comment, it means a lot :)


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